Markers

Background

Nomads, in their own tongue (Old Tongue), are known as the 'People of the Forests and the Mountains'. They understand their place in the natural world and name themselves after where they came from, where they are and where they're going.
Travelling through The Forests of The Wilds, they often need to leave messages for those who may walk the same paths but need to do so without leaving a permanent mark on the world.

Markers

What To Look For

• 2 or more sticks carefully arranged
• At least one stone and stick placed near each other
• Multiple stones carefully arranged
• A combination of stones, sticks and other items arranged together
• Mud markings on rocks or tree trunks
• Leaves, seeds and seed bearers (like pinecones) arranged together

Nomads use markers to leave messages for themselves, and people they know, and sometimes to warn people they don't know. This may be to highlight a path while they are hunting or tracking, leave a subtle direction for someone else to follow or act as a warning of an otherwise unseen danger, like loose rocks or quicksand.
These markers are passed down from one generation to the next and, as they are often improvised, use a range of elements which are easily at hand in The Wilds.
One of the defining elements of markers is that they're temporary. Nomads don't harm the forest around them and aim to leave no trace, so these marks are never carved into trees or written in a way which can't be washed away by heavy rain.

Using Markers

Below is a collection of common use of markers and the types of markers which might be used to indicate the information. Sometimes markers are combined to create more complex messages. The markers on these cards are the most commonly used but are not necessarily the only way of relaying this information, as exact uses vary from clan to clan.

Set Direction

Use(s)

Track an animal,
Set a path for others to follow

Marker

A stick running along the route with a stone at the end to indicate the direction of travel

Danger from Below

Use(s)

Warn others of pitfalls, etc.
Identify the location of a trap

Marker

Always a horizontal line with a dot beneath it, whether using rocks, sticks, leaves or drawing it with mud

Danger from Above

Use(s)

Warn others of rockfalls, etc.,
Identify the location of a trap

Marker

Always a horizontal line with a dot above it, whether using rocks, sticks, leaves or drawing it with mud

Set a Location

Use(s)

Identify a planned meeting spot,
Set a planned destination

Marker

Using sticks as rivers, rocks as mountains or other stationary landmarks and another element to indicate location

Set a Time

Use(s)

Days that have been travelled,
Days until reaching the meeting point

Marker

Short vertical lines indicate time passing in days. These are done with something other than sticks, or the sticks are deliberately awkwardly snapped to separate them from other markers.

Hunting

Use(s)

Let others know you are following a trail,
Let others know you are being followed

Marker

Two elements crossed over each other to create an 'X' shape. This could be two sticks or a leaf over a pinecone, the important thing is that they are crossed.

Example

For example, this image shows a 'Set Location' marker, in which the stick represents a river. The two stones are mountains and the pinecone is the planned destination. Based on this, the person who set this marker is heading North of the Candid Mountains, a treacherous journey.

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